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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — a phone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — a song
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cell — in biology
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com